Jeff Bezos tells upset Washington Post employees that standards won't change under struggling publisher

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos expressed support for embattled CEO Will Lewis in a memo to staff on Tuesday.

The billionaire Amazon founder, who bought the Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, has seen drama unfold in his newsroom in recent weeks after Lewis, who took over this year, announced more earlier this month that editor-in-chief Sally Buzbee would resign. Post journalists and their media allies have since reported a series of unflattering stories about Lewis, who has taken heat from employees over his journalistic ethics, the lack of diversity within the company and his “three newsrooms” project.

Lewis, who has been outspoken with staff about the paper's financial problems, tried to quell the drama, but Bezos intervened directly to say none of the changes would impact standards and ethics journalists of the newspaper.

“The team — I know Will has already told you this, but I also wanted to jump in directly: The Post's journalistic standards and ethics will not change,” Bezos told Washington Post employees in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital. .

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Billionaire Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013.

“Of course, it can't be business as usual at The Post. The world is changing rapidly and we must change as a company. With your support, we will achieve this and lead this great institution into the future. ” ” he continued. “But, as editors who have shaped and guided our news coverage, you also know that our standards at the Post have always been very high. This cannot change – and it will not change.”

Bezos insisted that employees have “full commitment to maintaining the quality, ethics and standards” they believe in.

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Washington Post CEO William Lewis and former editor-in-chief Sally Buzbee. (Getty Images)

“A huge thank you for continuing to do the work that makes us all proud and makes this institution so important,” Bezos wrote, signing the note “Jeff.”

Lewis held a heated meeting with staff earlier this month, the morning after Buzbee's departure was announced. The newspaper lost around $77 million in 2023 and has lost 50% of its audience since 2020.

“We're going to turn this around, but let's not sugarcoat it. We need to turn it around,” Lewis said. “We're losing a lot of money. Your audience has halved in the last few years. People aren't reading your stuff anymore. It's true. I can't sugarcoat it anymore.”

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Lewis announced that former Wall Street Journal editor Matt Murray will fill Buzbee's seat until the 2024 election cycle before managing a new division of the Post newsroom focused on service journalism and on social networks.

Robert Winnett, deputy editor of the Telegraph Media Group, will then take over from Murray and oversee the paper's main areas of coverage. David Shipley will remain editorial page editor as part of the newsroom's three-part restructuring.

Buzbee was offered one of the newly created positions, but she declined.

Postal employees have expressed concern about the lack of diversity within Postal leadership, as Lewis and his three top deputies are all white men.

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David Rutz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.